Karen's P.O.V.

The Morning After...

I woke up and felt like shit. This would be one of the worst hangovers I've had. I didn't wanna get up. I rolled on my side and saw Jimi. "Oh Shit" I got up taking a sheet with me and wrapped it around my self. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit..." There was a groan from the bed and I looked at Jimi.

"Ugh.. I feel like shit."

"Same!" He jumped and sat up

"What the...? Did we...? Oh shit..."

"Yeah oh shit. This is bad. Really bad. I'm married and we..."

"Calm down"

"Calm down?! You want me to calm down?! Oh I'm gonna be in shit. I'm in so much shit." As I said that I started looking for my clothes. I found my jeans, T-shirt and bra. "Where is..?" I stopped talking as Jimi held up my thong.

"Looking for these?" I walked over and went to grab them but he pulled them away.

"Jimi! Give me them. I need to go home"

"Karen, I remember last night, I don't regret what we did."

"Glad you can remember cause I don't."

"Do you regret what happened?" He looked at me with meaningful eyes.

"I... I'm married... What we did was technically wrong and its a sin, but... I don't regret it, but it was wrong."

"Don't leave."

"Jimi... I have too. I'm married and I was suppose to be home last night."

"You can't tell me you wanna go home. Karen we had sex last night. I've seen the bruises Karen. Some faded, some new like they were just put there yesterday. You need to leave him. Stay here." He took my hand sometime through his speech and pleaded for me to stay. Mark will beat me if I stay. He will beat me if I go home there is no right answer.

"I'm sorry Jimi... I have to go to him."

"No you don't. Karen you don't deserve to be treated this way. No one does. You need to get out of the marriage, its not right. We all see it. Me, Kim and Phillip. Me and Kim try and talk to you but you shut us out. Phillip doesn't know you as well as me or Kim so he will stay quiet, but he knows. We see the occasional bruise when your shirt goes up when you stretch too far. And yes I check you out, cause you are a beautiful woman and I love you, I have since the day I met you. Nobody want to see you hurt. I don't wanna see you hurt." I pull my hand back and took my thong and went to the bathroom with the rest of my clothes and glossy eyes. I got dressed and splashed water on my face then looked at myself in the mirror. He loves me... Why? I'm worthless and nothing... He doesn't want me. He just wants to get me in bed like Mark. They are best friends, so they probably beat girls together. I shook my head and wiped another tear. I stepped out of the bathroom and Jimi was standing in front of me only dressed in boxers. I have to admit, I did check him out, and he noticed and stepped closer to me and I back up against the wall. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to make sure you're okay to leave."

"What does that mean?"

"I mean, I gave you a choice. Stay here, and never be hurt again. Or go and let him do... Whatever he does to you."

"Don't... Don't leave me with those choices..." I said as I began to think of the pros and cons of staying and leaving. If I stay. I'm safe. If I go home. I get hurt.

"You wanna stay. I can see it. If you wanna go, you can. But I'm not giving up. I will get you out somehow. I don't care if I have to die in the process. As long as your safe."

"Did you mean it?

"Mean what?"

"That you love me... Did you mean it?"

"I've never been more serious and meaningful then when I say Karen Fairchild. I love you." I looked at him in the eyes as he said 'I love you' the tears started falling, I hand no control. He took me in his arms and held me tight.

Jimi's P.O.V.

She crying... Crying means she feels conflicted. She wants to stay but she's scared. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. She held on me like I was her saviour. I held her for a while and she still cried. I walked her over to the bed and laid her down and laid next to her. She cried but never made a move to leave my arms. I held her for as long as she needed me too.

A few hours later...

She cried until she fell asleep. I watch her sleep. She has a sad and scared face when she sleeps. Maybe it was because of Mark. Maybe it was just the way she slept, I don't know, but I'm gonna be the one to change that face. I'm gonna be the one to put a smile on it. I was think about me and Karen and as I was holding her I noticed she was thinner then usual. I could feel almost every bone in her body, I am so tempted to go kick his ass. But I need to help Karen first. I decided to do something nice, so I moved her gently and got up getting dressed and started cooking dinner. I cooked Karen's favourite, Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo. I laid two plates on the table and poured some water into the glasses cause if I had a hangover, no doubt Karen did too. I finished and went back into the bedroom and kneeled beside her. "Karen?" She jumped up like I was goin to kill her. "Easy... Its okay, I ain't gonna hurt you"

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean too... I'll be better... Just don't hurt me" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She sounded so fragile. My heart broke just hearing what she said. The way she said it didn't help either, so broken.

"It's okay, don't apologize, you didn't do anything. And I won't ever hurt you, I came to get you cause I finished cooking dinner"

"It's dinner time? Mark is gonna freak! I gotta go home"

"Wait, eat dinner with me. And I'll follow you home and tell him why you never came home."

"Are you gonna tell him you and I...?"

"No, I just wanna make sure he knows that this isn't your fault. Now come eat dinner please" she nods and gets up. I offered her a hand and she took it. I smiled and led her to the table.

"Jimi... You didn't have to do all this."

"It was nothing. And I wanted too." I pulled out her chair and she took a seat. I sat down across from her and she started to eat small bites. "When was the last time you actually had a meal?" She looked at me and shrugged "When?"

"I don't know, maybe a month ago, I'm not sure"

"A month?! Why haven't you ate?" She shrugs and eats. "You don't have to hide anything Karen... You can tell me"

"I don't know... I should go..." She got up grabbing her things and went out the front door. I tried to catch her but I couldn't cause she had a head start and I wasn't prepared for her to just get up and run.

"Karen! Wait!" I tried yelling to her but she gave me the saddest look I've ever seen and got into her truck and left.

That Night...

Karen's P.O.V.

No one can ever know... He used a knife. It was the first time he used a weapon. The first time he cut me. Yes I've been slammed into tables and walls that left small cuts. But these weren't small. They were long and deep and just wouldn't stop bleeding. I held towels to most of the bad cuts with the energy I had left. I was beaten until I passed out, and probably beaten while I was unconscious. He waited until I woke to have his way with me in the bedroom. He had a kitchen knife on the night stand that I didn't see until he picked it up. I of the beating I did for being with Jimi. I got the sexual assault because he wanted to be better. Which he could never do because Jimi was amazing, better then amazing. I got the cuts from the kitchen knife because he thought I cheated on him. Which I technically did but he didn't need to know the truth. He already assumed it so I couldn't have gotten any worse of a beating. He left me on the bed bleeding and drowning in tears, while he went to the bar, probably to find a girl to do before he came back to me. After he left I crawled from the bed to the bathroom taking my phone with me. As I sat here on the bathroom floor, naked and bloody, I looked at the full length mirror. I was disgusted. I wanted to die. Not because of the pain. But because I was ugly and worthless. But before I had the chance to do anything, my phone rang. I looked at it and it was Jimi. I was losing too much blood and got light headed. I tried to hit end but I hit answer instead. I passed out and fell back on the floor and dropped the phone as Jimi said "Hello? Karen? Karen?!"